AIADMK: 3 MLAs resign from their assembly positions and join TVK

Chennai: Three legislators from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have resigned from the Legislative Assembly. The MLAs, Maragatham Kumaravel representing Maduranthakam, Jayakumar representing Perundurai, and Sathyabama representing Dharapuram, submitted their resignation letters to Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar during a meeting on Monday (25 May 2026).

The three legislators were considered supporters of the faction within the party led by senior AIADMK leaders S.P. Velumani and C.V. Shanmugam.

Following the submission of their resignation letters, the three MLAs later met Ministers Aadhav Arjuna and Anand at the Secretariat and officially joined Vijay’s party TVK in the presence of several other Ministers and TVK officials. Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar subsequently confirmed that the resignations of the three AIADMK MLAs had been accepted.

The resignations come amid internal divisions within the AIADMK following the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, in which the party contested and won 47 seats. Two factions have since emerged within the party, one led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami and another headed by C.V. Shanmugam and S.P. Velumani.

With these resignations, the Indian Election Commission is soon expected to announce by-elections for 4 vacant constituencies, including Thiruch East, the second assembly seat won by TVK chief Vijay. He is expected to continue as assemblyman for Perambur in Chennai.

(Pic: The 3 MLAs who resigned from AIADMK, 3rd from left: Jayakumar, Maragatham, TVK Minister Anand and Sathyabama)